In an attempt to prevent a Las Vegas-style resort/casino from being built near Glendale, Ariz., Gov. Jan Brewer (R) signed a bill into law allowing Glendale to annex the 54-acre site. Casinos can be built only on tribal land, according to the state’s Indian Gaming Compact. However, as the law takes effect in 90 days, the window is open for legal maneuverings by the project’s developer, the Tohono O’odham Nation.
The bill, HB 2534, was pushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature last month but failed to reach a two-thirds majority that would have allowed the bill to be enacted immediately. It will allow municipalities to immediately annex property if a landowner has requested that the federal government hold the territory in trust.